I really like Zelda and Ys style ARPGs. Specifically, rare and impactful loot, and little reliance on skill levels, but rather skill aquisition. Both approach it very differently, and later Ys games fall into more traditional RPG mechanics (e.g. farm money/exp, buy gear, etc), so I’m more talking about Ys 1, 2, and Origin, as well as pre-BOTW Zelda games.

Basically, I love this gameplay loop:

1. Enter dungeon/level and fight baddies
2. Find important item/ability
3. Use important item/ability to defeat monsters
4. Fight boss, using a mix of important item and learning movesets
5. Repeat 1-4 several times, with plot mixed in
6. Fight final boss using a mix of everything acquired

Ys and Zelda do this in very different ways, and I absolutely love the level cap in Ys 1 to enforce playing smarter instead of grinding. You can never really get OP, even if you try (except Ys 2, which I don’t like much).

Unfortunately, “ARPG” has been twisted to mean Diablo-like, which is heavy on loot and ability trees instead of puzzles and exploration, and future Ys games go that direction as well.

This isn’t really specific to mechanics or systems, but I’ll like pretty much any mechanic or system that lends itself well to that gameplay loop.

All the stuff mentioned here with jiggle physics

I’m not that excited by deep skill trees or crafting or inventory management, lately i enjoy good movement, music, exploration, and story.

The movement in destiny 2 felt really good, similar games have it where you get momentum, dives, floating with warlock, etc. I think Titanfall 2 and borderlands 3 zane had similar really good feeling movement.

The exploration in pre planes EverQuest was great, fast travel limited to certain classes and levels, risky but faster travel routes in kunark, groups in overworld and dungeon areas, dangerous places to get to with high reward for the risk. Elder scrolls, dark souls/elden ring, and Zelda breath of the wild had similar feelings for me.

I love the histogram system from Zachtronics’ games. I find it much more useful to see my score compared to the proportion of people who got a similar score, than a leaderboard rank that doesn’t mean much.

Builds. Build builds builds. Whether its slowly tailoring your class to a build, or roguelike unlocking items and abilities to build around each run. It’s why I like things such as Diablo, PoE, Last Epoch, Binding of Isaac, Tales of Maj’Eyal, Neverwinter Nights, Baldur’s Gate, etc.

Its also why I was severely disappointed with ArcheAge. And unhappy when I returned to GW2 to find my world bossing combat medic off-meta bleed Warrior pretty much useless. Used to tank boss AoEs to revive downed people using healing shouts and increased revival speed. They nerfed and removed the revival speed node from Warrior and the build lost half it’s function.

Save anywhere

I don’t know the name of it, but I really enjoy the sort of gameplay where you roll up to an enemy compound or something, and then you just sort of chip away at it and cause chaos until it all falls apart.

The sort of thing you’d do in Farcry, where you’d snipe some dudes, plant traps, shoot the tiger cage so the tiger would get out and eat people etc.

I like most game mechanics to some extent. Creativity in combining game mechanics is key to making an outstanding game imo.

However, I don’t like things that force a time limit. I play games as an escape. I don’t like feeling stressed by a clock while I’m off the clock. These can be literal timed missions or things like a food/water meter. Escort missions also suck for similar reasons.

I think difficulty in a game should come from overcoming a foe, traversing harsh terrain, or solving a puzzle. If the game is hard because I have to stop what I’m doing to feed myself, or I have to rush to complete an objective on a timer, it just becomes work.

Games with high mobility mechanics like titanfall, echo point nova, doom eternal, destiny 2 strand hunters.

Peaceful exploration

Enemy ai that’s not stupid

Survival mechanics like S.T.A.L.K.E.R and New Vegas, dont give a damn for building mechanics though unless its simplified down to a simple upgrade system like Skyrim Hearthsfire DLC.

Hard to learn complex mechanics in simulation, such as target management analysis in dangerous waters, any of the jobs in space station 13, eve online

I’ve only realized it recently that I’m obsessed with simulator games. Eurot Truck Simulator 2, Software Inc, Minecraft? Rollercoaster Tycoon, etc.

Intricate character building with multi-class synergies. Is. My. Shiiiiiit!

Small wonder I love BG3 and Owlcat’s Pathfinder games.